Winter Break (my heart)

First, let me get the sad part out of the way. I've been dreading typing this post for almost two weeks now. You see, my dog Murdok passed away a few days before Christmas. So indulge me for a minute as I write his Obituary and recall fonder times with my dog.

Murdok Lemiere died Tuesday Dec. 21st. His only known surviving relative is his (fraternal) twin brother Buster "Ace" Lemiere. There was no service, but was buried in the forrests of Mt. Brynion under a stone displaying his name and paw prints from when he was a pup. Murdok accepted Christ as a young puppy and is probably laying at the foot of a family member who has gone ahead like Oscar or Maurice. He is a cancer survivor. He liked to play "chase". He loved peanut butter. He was not a good dog, he was the best dog.

Ok, that was lame. Murdok had a stroke (we think) and was only moving his head for a few days - didn't get up to eat or go to the bathroom or anything. So the decision was made to have him put to sleep. It really was the right thing to do, but man was it hard. I knew it would be, but it was harder than I expected. Eric went with me. Murdy (as Dash calls him) was almost 10 years old and really engrained himself into my family - as any good pet will. He's been in family Christmas photos, was my roomate for 6 years, retired up to Mt Bryinion with my parents when Leah got pregnant and made himself a fixture up on the hill. Needless to say, I miss him. I was petting his head as they gave him his shot, and crying about as uncontrollably as I get. Eric cried too. Anyone who has ever had to do that knows it's really sad. Almost unreal. He looked good and was soft, and I imagine that if I dug him back up, he'd still be soft. I love that dog and I may not get another one for a very, very long time. Eric did a nice job memorializing him on his blog and you should check it out.

I currently have a letter to the Pope requesting Murdok be considered for Saint-hood. From what I hear, to be a saint you have to perform 3 miracles. Murd is well beyond 3. First off, being born all white makes him very likely to be born deaf or blind or both. He was healthy and the largest of the litter. Second, he warmed the heart of my mom - to the point of sharing a bed (not in the Biblical sense) with her. This has never been done before. Mom has a history of sending all the dogs we've ever gotten (as kids) to the Pound. Yes, that's a miracle. Thirdly, I completely ran over him with my back tire going 30mph down MtBrynion and he ran off with only a few little cuts. Later I would learn that he tore his ACL in his back left leg, but still, I ran over him! Fourthly, he was about to turn 10 years old. There's no way a white Boxer should live that long. I give you: St. Murdok of Brynion!

I have a lot of stories about the dogs, but I'll only share one. Whenever Murdok slept with me, he wouldn't settle in until his head was on some part of me. My arm, leg, torso, face, whatever. Snuggler. Dash has been telling people Murdok died ever since I told him. My boys miss him, and so do I. The dog who talked like Homestar, was my ace-in-the-hole, my captain of the team and had the heart of a champion, will not be replaced. Buster is doing ok, thanks for asking.


Christmas with two boys who love guns and Legos will always be fun. Both boys are spoiled and get many gifts. But when people ask Dash what he got for Christmas, his most common response is "orange Tick-Tacks". To say he loves them would understate how quickly he dispatched an oversized Tick-Tack Pack.

Dash went to the dentist over the break and got a cavity filled. He did so well! Didn't cry at all until the very end when they painted on some flouride on his teeth (didn't like the taste).


I'm very blessed to have the family I have. Experience has taught me that a family who is flawed, but will tell you truth and act on it (instead of hoping for the best), is perfect. I love them.

Why do people say "horsesh*t"? Like a horse's poo is so foul?

And one more time, just for fun, Magnum, Rick and Higgins.

It's real, and it's fabulous.

Random thoughts...or are they?

Now that I teach statistics, I'm much more aware of how people use and misuse words like random, data, and statistic. Unfortunately, it's becoming a pet peeve... I admit that I don't like being corrected when I use the incorrect tense of a word (thanks dad), but I do like sounding like I had an education. So just to be clear:

• Data is plural. So really, data ARE plural. If you're looking at a single piece of information, then it's called a datum.
• A statistic is the conclusion reached from the gathering of data. If you've ever heard the phrase "Don't be a statistic!" (think drunk driving commercials or anti-drug), it should be "Don't be a datum!"
• In order for something to truly be random, it must be fair. In order to be fair, it has to be unpredictable and each outcome must be equally likely to occur. Be careful when you say, "That was random," because it probably wasn't. (or at least as random as you might think) The title of this post is "Random thoughts..." and in it I discuss statistics and Christmas. So really I'm narrowing down all of my possible thoughts to thoughts about math and Christmas. Not exactly random.

And just as a bonus for you: If the probability of you winning something is 1:4, and the odds of you winning something is 1:4, then you're better off with the probability. There's a difference of 5% between the two.

I feel like I've said this before...

My Christmas list this year is spendy! Here's a short list for any of you rich folk who are feeling generous:

1. I want a shotgun. (with a compass on the stock!...anyone?) I got it picked out. $300.
2. I want a Sony 2.1 surround unit with blu-ray, or a Bose 3.1 surround unit. $500
3. I want my basement insulated. $5000
4. I want a Navy blue Deron Williams authentic Jazz jersey. $260
5. I want a Navy blue Greg Jennings throwback jersey. $100

Not too much to ask is it? Oh, and an iPad would be cool. You've still got 3 weeks to get these for me!

All Hallows Eve

Ok, because you reaaalllly wanted to see it, here's who Dash, Kaed and I were for Halloween.

Kaed was Rick(we blew back and feathered his hair), Dash was Higgins (see the small mustache? Or musDash?) This was one of the best costume ideas I've ever had. So if you're keeping track at home, I've been MagnumPI, Sonny Crockett, and Ren McCormak (Kevin Bacon in Footloose) over the last few years. I sense a pattern emerging. And, yes, my stache' is real.

Now, I realize I've blogged about the acting skills of the characters in Twilight before, but I had a revelation this weekend that I'd like to share with you. No, it's not that the cast of Twilight couldn't act their way out of a paper sack. I've always thought there was something vaguely familiar about Kristin Stewart, but I couldn't quite put my finger on where or why??? Then I watched Scream last weekend and I had a "lightbulb" moment that hit me like a ton of bricks. Kristen Stewart is a modern Neve Campbell. Go with me here: both were in a successful series of movies that I didn't like, both make odd facial expressions (and call it acting), both will never win an Oscar. Since Neve came first, I'll give her a little credit and say that Kristin Stewart is a "poor man's Neve Campbell".

So which guy is the poor man's David Arquette - Lautner or Pattison?

I've come to another realization as well, and I'm less proud of this one. Most AC/DC songs really pump me up. They were big at KHS when I was a student there (Shook Me All Night Long was played at EVERY dance). Even though I wouldn't let Dash listen to them for another 20 years, I contend that playing Thunderstruck before you are about to do anything will make it about 950% more exciting and fun. Think about it - you're about to make an important decision on whether or not you want to refinance your mortgage...should you or shouldn't you... weighing the pros and cons... then a crecendoing guitar riff begins playing ... badabeedabadabeedabadabeedabadabeedabadabeedabadabeedabadabeedabadabeedabadabeeda(THUN-DA!)badabeedabadabeedabadabeedabadabeedaAND HEEEERE WEEEE GOOOO! I'm pumped just thinking about it. Think of all the applications this could have in our daily lives. We should all have Thuderstruck on our phones/ipods with an external speaker for any occasion that could use a little spicing up. I listened to it right before I got out of the truck for my men's league bball game and I was ready to rock...which promptly ended when I got into the gym and realized we were playing a bunch of young athletic kids. (yah, we won, but I was hoping to not work that hard last night)

This also reminds me of the evening before the first football game of my senior year. We had dinner at Shane Dyer's house (a group of us seniors) and then watched The Program right after. The movie ended and we were pretty fired up to get our senior campaign underway. Nervous anticipation mixed with extreme excitement. I gave Dave Sneddon a ride home that night (in the orange truck) and just before we pulled out of Shane's driveway he told me to stop - and he puked! Yes, we were that excited to play. It was funny, and awesome.

Speaking of being ready to rock.... Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis Costello...? Buddy Holly?

Alright, I'm off to make a couple parent phone calls. 1st quarter is about to end and some kids need a kick in the rear.

.......badabeedabadabeedabadabeeda...(thun-DAH!)